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Thursday, August 28, 2014

You have the perfect bike, the matching commuter friendly outfit, and all the gear to get you from home to Mars safely, but do you have a route? The last bit is typically overlooked as being not important. You can always hop in a car and hit up familiar routes or use a GPS system while driving to direct you. On a bicycle most of your senses are preoccupied with riding and staying upright. Using a GPS while riding is possible, but for daily trips isn't necessary. In this post I will talk about how to how to find safe commuting routes for your daily adventures!

I will start with the most simple method of finding a route, exploring! Take out your bike, walking shoes, or even your car and scope out neighborhoods, quiet side streets, and basically every direction you could take to your destination. I almost want you to get lost. Well, strategically lost. I have found the best paths to work, home, or the corner store just by wandering in the general direction. These paths may take longer, but they are usually more fun.

While exploring is the adventurous part of commuting on the slightly more serious side you may want an actual route that is quick and safe. Other resources that are incredibly handy are websites like Google maps, Map my Ride, and even Strava. If we start simple Google maps has bike routes that are surprisingly handy. They will give you a good route that can be adapted to your needs also. Maybe you wanted to stop at that little coffee shop on the way to work. It's easy to see where all the sneaky side streets are along their recommended route.

Easy to understand!

Next level internet road sleuthing involves making your own routes on websites such as Map my Ride or Ride with GPS. You will be able to take your knowledge of roads and create your own route. You can even put these routes onto your phone or GPS device and have them help you navigate while you ride. Using a bike mounted phone carrier would be ideal. Something like this from Topeak. Hopefully you won't need to use the GPS for very long, but it is a great idea to break the ice and get you out there on safe routes!

The last bit of helpful information I have found online is within Strava. You do have to have a premium profile on Strava to use this information, which is why I mention it last. I personally don't even use this information, but with that being said it is very helpful. They are the heatmaps, they show the routes people have traveled on all of their rides. This is a great way to get a feel of a new city, you can check and see where the locals have been riding and what type of riding they are doing. Typically people will explain their rides, but all styles of riding and types of rides should be allowed on all legally shared roads. Do not be afraid if a fast road ride always goes down your new route for commuting. Every style of cyclists should be accepted on the road.

In conclusion it really is important to have a set route before you head out on your commute. It will make the ride much less stressful, empower your sense of belonging on the road, and you will probably see parts of your town you never knew existed. I have lived in my town for nearly 7 years and I see something new weekly. I have multiple routes to locations, usually depending on how many hills I feel like riding. But really, this has allowed me to just slow down and enjoy the ride, even if I don't know where I am going.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

My written race recap begins around
mile 100 after the checkpoint at Craig Schmidt's Aunt's and Uncle's. This was my first Gravel Worlds. Really,
things had gone pretty well for me up to that point. I had accidentally reset
my cyclometer flipping cue sheets and the temps had gotten pretty hot but I was hanging in there. I had ridden 112 miles in the Cornhusker State Games Gravel Grinder so
was still within familiar mileage. I
continued to see the same people at most of the checkpoints and oasis's so I knew I was keeping a steady decent pace.
Everyone I had encountered doing the race or helping out had been awesome.
Shortly after leaving the Schmidt Oasis, a piece of glass, a sharp rock or a small
stick-figure devil with the pitchfork sliced the sidewall of my front tire and
the tube exploded. Luckily I was slowing down at the time to turn. I quickly
discovered there was about a centimeter cut in my side wall. I changed the tube
but didn't actually know if I would be able to go on. I've had a lot of flats
but never had my tire cut and honestly had no idea what would happen if I tried
to ride on it. I changed the tube started riding very slowly. It seemed okay. I
was very nervous going downhill for fear that I would get another fast flat and
wipe out in the gravel. Soon fellow
Sheclismas, Joy Fischer and Gina Kovanda, caught up with me. I fumbled an explanation about my
tire. I was overcome with stress not knowing if I should be riding or not. I
slowed way down on descents. Losing out on the benefit of the momentum from the downhill
side of rollers breaks your spirit a little bit each time.

I guess I choose my postcard wisely. Its message was needed for both me and my tire.

This was the first point in the race where I
felt in over my head. I didn't know if what I was doing was stupid or not. As I continued on toward the winery I had a
constant concern about the tire but was able to keep plugging along. I met up with Joy, Gina, Greg Rosenboom and
Jason Berlowitz at the Winery. I
remember saying to Joy, "My tire seems to be holding up but I don't think
I am." Insert "cheerleader" icon here. Joy gave me some words of encouragement. Gina mentioned a dollar bill trick to reinforce the tire wall. Jason announced that he had sort of fixed his rear derailleur which had been having issues throughout the race and for
the volunteers to call back in to let PCL HQ know was now back in the race! I had made it 15 miles with the cut tire so
far so I decided to just "Proceed With Caution" as I had been
doing. After the winery, I could usually
see those four out on the horizon ahead of me and I think they probably kept
tabs on me. Finally reaching some pavement before the Hickman convenient store
I discovered my tire was pretty messed up by the thump thump thump thump it was
doing so I decided I was done. When I got to the Hickman store, I would call Skip, my husband, who had already
finished, to pick me up. See next cheerleader icon - the riders and supporters at the convenience store
would hear nothing of it. My defenses
were weak and their enthusiasm was contagious. This is why doing races like this are so
special. Had I been there by myself I
would have definitely quit. I went inside and got a drumstick and my Powerball
ticket before sitting down outside to "tuck a buck" between the tube
and the tire. I found that my tube had begun to pop out through the tear
and knew that things probably wouldn't have lasted much longer like that. Some
of the riders wished me luck and headed out.

Dollar bill tire boot.

Once the dollar bill was inserted I headed
out from the Hickman convenience store only to be quickly joined by Jason. This
is where Team MacGyver was formed. His now three speed and my tire boot limping
together to the finish. I am so thankful for him. He tried to make conversation
with me (I'm not a good small talker), navigated the rest of the way, and provided
bright lights once it got dark. I knew
he wasn't going to let me quit. My text to Skip from Hickman telling him where
I was hadn't gone through so with under 10 miles left to go Skip pulled up in
the War Wagon after driving the course backward looking for me. He gave me a
lot of thumbs up and encouragement. He knew nothing of my tire. He headed back
to the finish to wait for us. Team MacGyver arrived 15hrs 25mins after the race
started. I was greeted at the finish by the people who had figured so prominently
in me getting there. A perfect end to a very
tough day. I am so deeply proud of my
accomplishment. I cannot thank the people around me that last third of the race
enough. The encouragement and support was amazing. And although, I had to actually ride the whole
153 miles myself, I wouldn't have been able to do it without them. I also knew how proud I would be and how proud
Skip would be of me, not just for finishing but for continuing with that jank
ass tire. Badassery achieved again!

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Have you noticed any electric bikes out there? I don’t seem them often, but I am seeing them more and more. And everytime I do, I think to myself, I should get one of those. On the days when I’m just too tired to put forth the energy to bike to work, I could jump on one and barely pedal. And if I did pedal, I would just go that much faster.

Seeing these bikes, sometimes referred to as e-bikes, has got me thinking about all the fun gadgets out there that just make biking that much more enjoyable.

Do your wrists ever hurt while riding your bike? They make these great ergonomic handlebar grips in various shapes and sizes. I suffer from wrist pain when biking on my mountain bike. I tried a pair of ergonomic grips and I will never go back to regular grips again. Your local bike store should have them in stock.

For those techy people out there who want to know how many calories they burned, how far they went, or how fast they did it you probably appreciate the are apps for your smartphone that track your routes and mileage and even tell you how to get where you need to on the trails (great for those easily lost or in unfamiliar neighborhoods). For the competitor in you the Strava app is great. You can compete against yourself, friends, and people you don’t even know for the fastest ride on various streets, roads, and trails. Other similar apps such as Endomondo and MapMyRide. Google has an app that will navigate you to your destination using bike trails and bike friendly roads if your community has designated them as such.

Apps just aren’t for tracking where you went, but there are apps to help you fix your bike. I personally am a fan of youtube when I need to make bike repairs, but a quick app on the go might prove useful.

Bike cyclocomputers are a great add on. If you have no idea what a cyclocomputer is, it is basically an odometer and speedometer in one. Bell makes a nice cheap wireless one that will tell you your

speed, distance, and keep track of your total miles ridden on your bike and is available in most discount stores. You can always upgrade to a more expensive brand such as CatEye or Bontrager, and as a person who has both, I can say I’m pretty happy with the cheap Bell model to track my mileage.

If you will be riding in the dark, we all know you will be using a front and back light. Not just a reflector, but a glow in the dark, light your path and see my tail light from more than 200 foot away kind of light. But (yawn) that’s kind of boring right? What can make it more fun are bicycle wheel/spoke lights! Personally, I think these are pretty cool and they have the added bonus of making you that much more visible. We have a pair of simple wheel lights. They attach to the stem of the tube and centrifugal force activates the lights when the tires spin. But when you watch the video below and see how fancy these lights can actually get, you’ll see just how cool they really can be and you might find yourself ordering some. Now I want some.

English: Looking west at a parked A2B Ultramotor electric bike in the East lower 70s on a sunny day. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Now if you’ve got some serious cash to spend on making commuting a bit more fun and easier, perhaps an electric bike is the right option for you. Perhaps you have a lot to haul, or your commute is rather far and the assistance of an e-bike might just be up your alley. You can get a conversion kit for your current bike at a cost of $200 - $300. You’ll need to be mechanically inclined to install the kit, but that would be a significant savings over the cost of a new electric bike. I see more and more brands of electric bikes popping up everytime I Google search for them. Pedego has some really cute electric bikes and run just over $2,000 each. Prodeco sells several e-bikes on Amazon.com starting at $800. Most bikes will get you 18-20 miles without much pedalling. And to be honest, the thought of not pedalling home on a really hot and humid day is certainly appealing to me. I might have to start saving my pennies.

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

We are all human, but we are also Americans and sometimes - because we are Americans - life can get in the way of us being "more" human.

Time seems to be something we Americans don't have enough of. We are always rushed to get to work, to get to the store, to get to school, to get our kids to school....... so cars help us out in that respect because we can get where ever it is we need to go - FAST! We get in the car, we have the windows up (because the air/heat is on) and we just go. We don't notice things...flowers, trees, children, families, animals..... we are just one with the car and we get to where we need to be - usually by the shortest route possible. Days go by, months go by, seasons go by and we don't notice any of it. We don't see the other drivers expressions, we don't see happiness, sadness....nothing. We are, in essence, a machine ourselves.

BUT throw that same machine of ourselves on a bike and all that melts away........ we become more human. We know the other commuters, maybe not by name but we KNOW them. We see the changes going on in nature every.single.day. We get to REALLY experience the seasons happening....from start to finish. We get to see moms and children heading to school each morning, we get to see people and their pets taking their first, or second, walk of the day, we get to witness emotions within ourselves, and others we see on our commute. We are MORE human and it is a good thing.
There is a campaign going on by Mizuno right now stating "What if Everybody Ran?" Well, my question to everyone is "What if Everyone Commuted?" Seriously, think about it...... ALL the problems would be solved (as I see it). Healthcare costs would plummet. No need for a pipeline to carry oil through Nebraska. Pleasant people everywhere you turn. Healthy people everywhere you turn. People that have slowed down and taken the time to get to where they need to go.

Monday, August 11, 2014

On Saturday, 16 women affiliated with Sheclismo will toe the start line at Gravel Worlds, representing in every single eligible category, from Open to Masters to Singlespeed to Cargo Bike to Tandem. The 150ish mile slog is nothing if not challenging, and no matter how far our Sheclismas make it along the course, they've been training hard and are all accomplishing a huge amount just by taking on the event.

Sheclismas know you can't have no in your heart.

Better yet, other Sheclismas and supporters will be staffing an oasis/checkpoint along the route, replete with treats and smiles and high fives and at least two Jennifers.

And once Gravel Worlds is done, switch right on over in your brain -- our first night of cyclocross school is next Wednesday, August 20th!

Friday, August 1, 2014

The women of Sheclismo are committed to the power of women helping women. Voices of Hope is a vital piece of the Lincoln community, providing invaluable support for women and families in the city. If you're free on August 30th, consider riding in their Spokes 4 Hope fundraiser! Children are welcome, too!

Ride
a scenic stretch of Lincoln’s extensive trail network and help fund a
vital, local non-profit! Spokes for Hope is a 6, 7, or 12 mile charity
bike ride to raise money for Voices of Hope, a Lincoln non-profit
organization that provides 24-hour-a-day crisis intervention, advocacy
and prevention services for domestic violence, sexual assault and
incest.

The bike ride takes place on Saturday, August 30th. Riders will meet at Antelope Park at 9:00 A.M. for check-in. The ride will begin at 9:30 A.M.
and will conclude once all riders have finished their routes (the six
mile route takes forty minutes, the seven mile route takes fifty, and
the twelve mile route takes about an hour and twenty minutes to
complete).

“This
fundraiser is an event that gives the people of Lincoln an opportunity
to support our agency while enjoying a fun and affordable family event,”
says Executive Director Marcee Metzger. “All of our services, including
our 24-hour crisis line, 24-hour advocacy in response to calls from
hospitals and law enforcement, daily walk-in services for safety
planning and crisis counseling, and support groups are provided free of
charge. We could not provide these services without the support of our
community through events such as Spokes for Hope.”

Riders will gather in the west parking lot at Antelope Park at 9:00A.M.. The
ride will follow the Billy Wolff trail system north, past the Lincoln
Children’s Zoo, the capitol, Union Plaza and Trago Park. From Vine
Street, riders can either follow the A Route another half-mile to UNL,
or follow the B Route east one mile to Peter Pan Park. Riders will
then turn around and return to the park for refreshments. Spokes for
Hope has been made possible by the generous sponsorship of the following
Lincoln businesses: Screen Ink, Polkadot Bicycles, Printing Plus,
Liberty First Credit Union, Russ's Market, and Open Harvest Coop.

Riders can register online at www.spokes4hopelincoln.orgor
by printing and mailing the registration form (available on the
website) along with a check to Voices of Hope, 2545 N Street, Lincoln,
NE 68510. Registration is $15 for adults ($20 with a shirt) and $10 for
children 5-12 ($15 with a shirt). Children under 5 ride free. Riders'
entire registration fee will be donated to Voices of Hope to help cover
their operating costs. Contact Patsy Martin, Voices of Hope’s
Communications Coordinator for questions or to arrange for interviews.